Half Black Soul

by H. D. Gordon

  We'd bought expensive wetsuits earlier today. Well, Kayden had bought us expensive wetsuits earlier along with the GPS and waterproof walkie-talkies. I stuffed my Gladius down the front of my shirt and pulled the zipper all the way up to my neck. Kayden thought it would be a good idea to bring an oxygen tank, in case my Mother was unconscious, so that we could just slip the mask over her face and tow her back to the boat if need be. He attached the thing to his back and snapped the buckles in place. I stared at him for a moment. The realization of what he was doing for me seriously setting in. We could very well die in there. He could die in there. For me.

  I reached out and grabbed his hand, and his body stilled. Kayden, I began. As stupid as it may have been, my tongue felt thick in my throat, and my eyes began to burn a little with unshed tears. I may never see my sister again. Or Jackson. Or Tommy. Or & anybody. Whatever I said to Kayden now may be the last words I ever got to say to him. I think this thought burned me more than all the others. I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat immovable. I &, I started again. Why was this so damn difficult for me?

  To my surprise, Kayden pulled me into his arms. I closed my eyes. It occurred to me that I was safer here, with him, than maybe I had ever been. For a moment, I imagined that we weren't standing on a boat outside of a prison, that we weren't about to charge in and perhaps pay with our lives, that everything was right with the world, that I was, just for this small moment, that may be one of my last,happy to be spending it with him.

  Kayden ran his hand through my hair, and I shuddered in his arms. His fingers found my chin and tilted my head back so that I was looking up into those beautiful sunrise eyes. It's okay, Alexa, he whispered. I know, and I love you too.

  Then, he kissed me. The sounds of the ocean died out around me. The smell of the salty air disappeared and yielded to the scent of my Kayden; my Libra. I knew nothing other than the way his lips felt and moved against mine, as desperate as they had been in the parking lot of that rest stop just a couple days earlier. His warmth and safety & and, yes, love, gave me a reprieve that I hadn't realized I needed so badly. All of a sudden I wished that I'd given myself to him in that hotel last night. But, this would have to be enough. Against my wishes and beyond my control, a single tear fell from each of my eyes. It all seemed so incredibly & unfair.

  Kayden released me, and like that, the moment was over. It was really and truly time to face my fate, whatever that may be. I'd come this far, and even though it would be a lie to say that I didn't think about telling Kayden to turn the boat around, to take me someplace far away from here, I knew that that was not something I could do. At least my monster seemed pleased.

  Kayden smiled at me, and my heart seemed to stop dead in my chest. He took my hand in his, and we jumped off the boat and into the surprisingly cold water. After a few moments, my body adjusted to the temperature and it wasn't so bad. We began making our way toward the island that held Dangeon. As I swam, I pushed aside all my emotions and feelings, setting my mind to the task at hand.

  Be ready, I told my monster silently.

  I'm always ready.

  This comforted me as I moved forward, Kayden right by my side. Tonight, I would face death, and at the very least, go down swinging. What I didn't know was that I was about to seriously set my fate in motion, and with it, the fates of all the others of my kind.

  Nelly

  I slapped my hand over my mouth, the impulse to cry out for help almost undeniable. Somehow, Victoria had caught hold of my scent while she was out running for the night, and now she was coming to, as she thought of it, teach me a lesson . But, I could tell from her soul that that lesson would more than likely consist of her ripping my throat out. She'd imagined doing so on many occasions, and had almost done so to my sister in a situation very much like this one. For several heartbeats, I was too afraid to move.

  The circle I'd projected out around me with my mind confirmed that we were alone. Victoria was growing closer by the second. I could sense that there were other wolf-borns in the woods as well, but all of them were too far away to be of any assistance. I glanced up, the canopy of the trees from my current position was too thick for me to get a clear view of the sky, but I remembered that tonight was a full moon. The werewolves always shifted and ran on the full moon. I was an idiot. I shouldn't be out here.

  To my left, I heard the sound of twigs snapping, branches bending and leaves crunching. She was almost on me, and my sister wouldn't be here to save me this time. Over the sounds of the yielding foliage, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I seemed to have stopped breathing. Only a few more seconds and she would be on top of me. I was helpless.

  Helpless. I hated that word. I had considered myself helpless for my entire life. I'd skimmed by with the comfort that Alexa would always be by my side to fight my battles for me. She was the strong one; the fighter. I wasn't surprised by the shame I felt admitting these things to myself. I was surprised that it made me angry. Alexa had her strengths. I had mine. In that long moment, as I stood frozen in terror between the looming trees of the dark forest, I realized that I had never given myself enough credit. I could handle this. I'd have to. No one was here to wipe my bottom and give me my bottle. And, really, I wasn't helpless at all, was I?

  Victoria slowed when she reached me. My mind was completely focused on her now, and I knew that she wanted to savor this moment. She was sure that she'd caught me off guard. She was sure that there was nothing I could do now. Even if she were in her human form, she was sure that she could take me no problem, and she wasn't in her human form. She was a wolf. She was positive that I was what I always thought I was: helpless.

  Well, she was wrong.

  I was already facing her direction when she stepped through the trees and made herself known. She was bigger than I expected her to be, with blond fur and glowing, golden eyes. No real wolf I'd ever seen stood as wide or as tall. Even though I had confidence in what I had to do, I would be lying not to admit that I wasn't terrified. And, the fact that her lips were pulled back over her dripping, sharp and large teeth didn't help matters any.

  We stood there like that for a moment, and Victoria snarled. The sound made the hairs on my arms stand on end. When she spoke in my head, I cringed visibly. I'd known that this was the way wolf-borns communicated when they were in their animal form, but I'd never experienced it. Perhaps it was because I'd spent so much time in other people's minds that the idea of having anyone in mine didn't sit well with me. She couldn't read my thoughts, though. She could just voice her own. And, voice them she did.

  All alone. Searcher, she said, and a sinister, ugly laugh rang out in my head. You've all but gift wrapped yourself for me.

  I was enormously proud when my voice didn't come out trembling. Leave now, Victoria, I said. You don't know what you're doing.

  Another ugly laugh. Leave? I've been waiting for this for a long time, Searcher. You're a stupid little bitch, you know that. Maybe even more so than that sister of yours.

  She began to move forward slowly, head lowered between her massive shoulders, where the hair on her back stood at attention. She snapped her large jaws open and shut, emitting growls and snarls each time. She was waiting for me to run. I planted my feet. Enough was enough. I realized then that she wasn't the only one who had been waiting for an opportunity like this. From the moment she'd crossed my sister I'd wanted to teach her a lesson .

  I was surprised, and yes, delighted by how easy it was. Victoria was nearly as simple-minded as the forest animals. I felt a smile pull my lips up when I latched on to her soul and in turn took control of her mind. I was going to enjoy this.

  When she was only two feet from me, I held up a hand. Stop, I said in a calm voice, and stop she did.

  What the f-,

  Quiet now, I began. That's enough of that. Victoria's jaws snapped shut with an audible click, even though she'd been speaking in my head. The smile on my face stretched upward still. I could just send her away and make sure she
didn't remember any of this, but what good would that do? It would just prolong the inevitable. This crap would end tonight.

  You listen to me now, I said, and my voice was a bit deeper than normal. I don't know or even care what your problem is with me and my sister, but you're done terrorizing us. You're not a nice person, and frankly, I think you've got some serious soul searching to do if you intend to make it in this world. You're a & a witch, and I want you to know that I don't like you one bit.

  Okay, maybe not the most fearsome speech, but it was all I had at the moment. Well, not all. I took two small steps forward so that I was standing face to muzzle with her. Her hot, dog breath fanned across my face. My next words came out deeper still. Before I do what I'm going to do to you, I want you to know one thing: You're lucky that your attempt at taking my sister's life failed, because I promise you that if it hadn t, I would have made you suffer worse than you can even imagine. I would have taken that smart tongue of yours and made you eat it. Then, I would have skinned you of that pelt you wear, and set it on the floor of my living room for me to walk over, and wipe my feet on. And, while I would have relieved you of your body, I would have taken that sorry, pathetic excuse you call a soul, and personally delivered it to the devil himself, so that you could burn in the underworld for the rest of eternity.

  There, that was better, and the raw fear I felt radiating from her soul proved it. Now, it was time to do a little rearranging in that stupid little head of hers. This part would be a little harder. I would have to take memories, and insert new beliefs. And, and this was the most important part, I would have to make sure that she didn't remember any of this. I wished I were my sister; killing Victoria would be a whole lot easier.

  I reached out and set both of my hands on her shoulders. The fur there was soft and warm, and I couldn't help but feel a little smug when her large, wolf body trembled under my touch. She couldn't move because I didn't want her to, but from her fear I could tell that she wanted to run away. The physical contact made my tasks easier, and I found it simple enough to pick through her head and pull out all her memories of confrontation with both Alexa and me. Next, I removed her distaste for the both of us. Now, to plant my own thoughts in her head and make them feel like her own. I thought for a moment.

  I was still smiling as I spoke. You are going to make a serious effort to be nicer to everyone you know and meet, I began. You are going to stop wearing so much makeup and so little clothing and do your best to use your mind to get where you want to go. Most of all, you absolutely adore me and you worship Alexa. You want nothing more than to be our friend and to help us in any way you can. I paused for a moment, thinking if there was anything else I wanted to add. Sure, some of that had been unnecessary, but I figured that while I was at it, I may as well try and fix some other personality flaws. Later, it would occur to me that I was letting the power go to my head, and that I had no business altering Victoria in the way that I did. Right then, it didn't seem like too big of a deal. After all, I thought I was doing her a favor.

  When I decided that there was nothing else to be done, I stole the memory of my intrusion from her, and told her to sit where she was for the next forty minutes. Victoria's hind legs folded underneath her and she sat back on her haunches, looking very much like a well-trained dog. Forty minutes would give me more than enough time to get back to my dorm and be under my covers. But, it occurred to me that I couldn't risk just leaving her here like some zombie-wolf. What if others showed up?

  If anyone comes and finds you, you can move & and just act normal, I said, and that was that.

  I turned and began making my way back to the city, just a little too pleased with myself over what I'd just done.

  Nelly

  I kept my mind stretched out around me until I finally saw the lights of Two Rivers up ahead. When I reached the edge of the trees, I paused. I had to make sure that no one was around to see me coming out of the forest, and for the first time since the daylight ended, I was grateful to have the cover of night. A mental scan of the area told me that no one was near enough to my location to be able to spot me if I stepped out of the woods. Part of me hesitated anyway.

  I stood still for a moment, hovering at the brim of the trees, staring at the structures and landscape and richness of Two Rivers, and couldn't help but think of Soraya, returning home to her sorry hut, having her life blood stolen from her slowly but surely, and most of all, the agony of all the souls in that village. The sight of the luxurious city before me had at once seemed to me like a wonderland of sorts with all its beauty. Now, it was something like sickening. I wished I'd never come to this place.

  But, I had to return to my dorm. I glanced down at my watch, hitting the little button on the side so that the face would light up. I had thirty minutes before curfew, and since the dormitories were only a five minute walk from the school building by which I was exiting the woods, I had plenty of time to get there. I looked down at my clothing. At least it wasn't torn, but it was really dirty. And wet. It hadn't been pouring while I'd been out here, but the rain had been consistent enough that my clothes clung to my body and my hair dripped at the ends. The knees of my jeans were stained with mud, and even my face and my hands felt grimy. If someone noticed my condition before I made to my dorm, they might ask questions. That was the last thing I wanted right then.

  I stepped out of the cover of the trees and began walking briskly in the direction of my dorm. I didn't feel comfortable leaving my mind out to explore while there were certainly many other Searchers around, but I didn't like the idea of not monitoring my surroundings either. I decided it would be wisest of rein in my range and just focus on whoever came within thirty feet of me from any direction. Luckily, most people seemed to have retired for the night. Tomorrow was a school day, after all.

  I had almost made it to my dorm room when it happened. I was at a spot where the path I was walking down split off in two different directions; one lead up to the steps of my dorm building, the other toward a row of modest houses. I stopped in my tracks. That muscle in my mind seemed to be insisting that I head down the path toward the houses, even though all I wanted was to return to my dorm and clean up before anyone could see me. Sometimes this happens. Sometimes I get an undeniable feeling that I should, or rather need to do something, and I don't understand what the reason is. That muscle in my mind seemed to be pulling me down that other path, insisting that I follow it and see where it took me.

  I paused for a moment, indecisive. I'd been lucky to make it this far without being seen. Wherever this detour would take me, it would undoubtedly increase my chances of being seen. But, I'd learned long ago to trust my instincts, and though I paused, I knew what I was going to do.

  I started off down the path toward the houses, growing more and more anxious with every step I took. I suppose I could have just run up to my room and changed my clothes, but the need to follow this path was urgent, as if I didn't have time to stop, because if I did, whatever my mind wanted me to see would be gone. I picked up my pace, forcing myself not to break into a run.

  I passed by the houses, hoping that wherever my destination was wasn't too much further. Eventually, the path began to curve, and I noticed that I was heading to the rear of the wolf dormitories. A little exasperation welled up in me. I was tired. I'd run an incredibly long distance already today, and though I was trained for such activity, my muscles were beginning to ache. I cursed in my head. I could have made it to the wolf dorms faster if I had taken the other path. It would have led me to the front of the building, but I could have walked around to the rear. I had almost decided to just go to my room, when that muscle in my mind insisted that I stand behind a large oak tree that was ten feet to my east, and to do so now. I found myself dashing over to the tree and crouching behind it, hoping that this detour had a good reason.

  The bench, my mind provided. Pay attention to the bench.

  I peeked around the oak tree. The bench I assumed was the important one sat righ
t off the path I'd just come down. It was only about fifteen feet from the tree behind which I stood. And, it was unoccupied. I released a frustrated breath. Then, I felt them.

  Two souls, a wolf-born and a Brocken, were slowly approaching the bench from opposite directions. I hadn't been concentrating with my mind, but it seemed to be doing it on its own. I gasped when I realized who its targets were. Tommy's father. And Jackson.

  I clutched the bark of the tree, and pulled my head back so that I was fully concealed by it once more. Tommy's father and Jackson were going to sit on the bench and discuss something. I was too horrified to reach out and Search them for the information, so I just put my hand over my mouth and waited. I wasn't meant to hear whatever was about to be said.

  I pulled my mind back in, the effort to do so more than I expected. I didn't want to learn anymore secrets right now. I shouldn't be here. I wished I had just returned to my dorm. But, it was too late now. If I left my hiding spot, one of the two would certainly see me, and then what would happen? I closed my eyes and waited.

  Tommy's father, whose name was Thomas also, and Jackson both took a seat on the bench. I wondered if I would be able to hear them over the pounding of my chest. And, though they spoke quietly, I am half Lamia, so my hearing is better than most Searcher's as well. Seems I was built for this kind of thing.

  The two didn't waste time with pleasantries. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show, said Thomas, and his tone was not kind.

  What are you talking about? I'm right on time, replied Jackson.

  So you are, said Thomas, and I got the feeling that this man always spoke in a half snarl. The Warrior has left Two Rivers.

  Jackson sighed. I know.

  And you didn't say anything. You're supposed to be watching her. Why didn't you come to me when you found out she was leaving? His tone was accusing now.

  I didn't know she was leaving, Jackson lied. I found out when everyone else did. When she didn't show up for lunch. I figured you already knew by then.